


Gravel Poetics

by niebieskameliska



Category: Persona 5
Genre: (sort of), (they really should talk about their relationship lmao), (this ain't happy y'all but at least goro's sarcastic about it), Additional Warnings Apply, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niebieskameliska/pseuds/niebieskameliska
Summary: I woke up in the morning and I didn’t want anything, didn’t do anything,couldn’t do it anyway,just lay there listening to the blood rush through me and it never madeany sense, anything.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kitagawa Yusuke
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Gravel Poetics

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kitaakes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitaakes/gifts).



>   * **additional warnings in the end notes**
>   * beta by sparrow @ikuzonos, thank you c:
> 


It's surprising how easily he got used to pain — to wounds splintering through every inch of his skin while the heavy smell of blood hangs in the air, to burns and bruises. It could be considered miraculous, perhaps even supernatural, how he could shake off grievous injuries and walk away, but Goro's always been too busy for that. Once he broke a leg during a mission given to him by Shido, yet on the same night, he biked back to his apartment without complaining, and that was it. Whatever. It is quite useful. No need to mull over it.

But right now, Goro is thinking despairingly about figuring out why his spells didn't heal him entirely and then making sure he  _ never _ makes this mistake again. The ache in his knee makes him grit his teeth as it seems to follow the shaky rhythm of his pulse; his Metaverse attire is torn into shreds, a few patches of the blue stripes now blackened with blood. 

"Are you alright?"

And there's also Kitagawa. Polite, bright-eyed Kitagawa, whose gaze Goro sometimes wishes he could drink, hide it underneath his skin and breathe out. He's watching Goro with his head tilted, elegant eyebrows furrowing in concern as he holds the roll of elastic bandages. 

Goro kind of wants to tell him to fuck off. Instead, he counts to ten before speaking out to make sure his voice is even.  _ Indignant, _ but even. "Do you believe there are more answers than one to this question?" 

"Hardly." One corner of his lip rising in a half-hearted smile, Kitagawa gently presses the gaze to the gash on Goro's triceps before wrapping the bandage around it. His hands are gentle and precise as he moves. "The current situation seems terribly messy, to put it quite lightly, and I wish I could see your perspective on it — if you are willing."

"And  _ what _ would you like me to say?" For shit's sake, they keep fencing each other with pointed questions and long, meaningful looks, but their talks do  _ not _ usually go like that. Goro likes the honesty, the silence, the — understanding that needs not be acknowledged aloud. Kitagawa's pretty easy to hang out with because of that. He sketches, Goro reads, they exchange a few words about something random, then continue to focus on their own activities. The time flows unhurriedly, without any interruptions, the air lighter somehow. 

This is not it. This makes Goro realize his mouth tastes of blood. His own, most likely, but who knows at this point?

"I would just like to rest," he says in the end, then grimaces at how awfully pathetic it sounds. Kitagawa, however, doesn't seem to share this opinion, because he stays quiet as he puts away the unused dressings into the first aid kit. The Metaverse shimmers around them, red and unsettling just like always, Shadows wandering around like caged lions. One of them threw itself into Kitagawa and almost sunk its claws into his neck before Goro pushed it away, Loki already spranging for action behind him. The routine violence followed and so now there's blood on the ground, glistening on the concrete. 

(When is all of it going to leave his body? Because Kurusu already lost this game. Goro was close to losing too, but he cheated, he  _ escaped _ . And now he's, in some strange twist of fate, ready to take Shido down along his past companions — despite all the glaring and groaning.) 

At least he can meet up with Kitagawa again, accompany him during his inspiration quests and see his rare smiles. Press their lips together.

Jesus Christ. So sappy. Goro must be more tired than he thought. He shakes his head and smiles wryly. "Let's get going," he says, swallowing the words he must  _ not _ speak. Some of them have already spilled out already, and the leak scares him. It's too quick. Like the wounds on his body, it needs time — and, somehow, Goro has more time. Yet another miracle.

Cleaning up after themselves, they depart the subway station to step back into reality. Kitagawa's surprised but doesn't say no when Goro invites him to his apartment for dinner. They order take-out and watch the news, briefly discuss their excursion. Goro makes tea while Kitagawa sketches the reporters as they cover topics both serious and mundane. 

For a moment, it almost feels like everything has already ended. It's a lie, but one Goro is willing to accept.

**Author's Note:**

> a/n
> 
>   * **cw: violence/blood mentions; character death mentions**
>   * **please comment/kudo if you read/liked this fic,** it'd be lovely c:
>   * written for doug (@kitaakes both here and on twitter, check his stuff out), i hope you like it!! c:
>   * and, yeah, i didn't write this with akekita week in mind, but hey, doug said it's ok to post it, so here we go, gays and gals 
>   * the summary is a quote from richard siken's poem "straw house, straw dog". shot out to sparrow for infecting my brain with his poetry
>   * my twitter/tumblr is @soniagiris, come by if i passed your vibe check c:
> 



End file.
